A crash-course is being offered for would-be candidates in this fall's municipal election. The County of Essex is hosting an information session tonight for anyone thinking about running.
Mary Birch, the Director of Council and Community Services, says several topics are on the agenda.
"Things like the role of council, the rules regarding nominations, general campaign rules and election finances. There are a lot of rules that people need to be aware of. It's not just passing out flyers and putting up signs and that type of thing. They've got to do some tracking and they've got to know the rules."
Birch adds that those attending tonight's meeting will get some expert advice from guest speaker Mike Galloway. "(He) has the experience of both being a municipal politician as well as a municipal administrator. He's going to come and speak more from a personal experience about what someone could expect if they're elected to municipal office, how that affects their life.
Municipal politicians often find themselves on the frontlines and Birch says it's important to be prepared. "There's a lot involved and it's not just attending meetings. There's the phone calls in the middle of the night. Constantly being on duty really, for people to call and voice whatever concerns that they have."
Tonight's meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Essex Civic Centre, 360 Fairview Ave West in Essex.
The nomination period runs from May 1 to July 27. The municipal election is October 22.